Mid Sussex District Council is proposing to implement a new flexible season ticket offer and to increase car parking charges in line with inflation.

Changes are proposed to car park season tickets, which are primarily used by town centre workers and commuters. The pandemic has dramatically changed the way people work, with many more people working from home, and this has had an impact on the demand for season tickets. The number of people using town centre season tickets is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels, so a flexible 3-day season ticket could be introduced to fit in with new working habits

Public sector organisations across the UK are facing serious budget gaps as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In local government, the financial cost of supporting communities through the pandemic has been huge. Even with additional funding from the Government, the cost to Mid Sussex District Council was £1.9 million during the 2020/21 financial year and Covid-19 will continue to have a significant impact on the Council’s finances over the coming years.

Parking charges in Mid Sussex town centre Pay and Display car parks have remained the same for the past ten years, which means they have not kept pace with inflation or rising management and maintenance costs.

One of the measures Mid Sussex District Council is proposing to help protect essential public services and to enable continued investment in the parking estate particulary in new technologies to improve customer service is an increase in parking charges. This would see parking for one hour increase from 80p to £1 and is directly in line with inflation since the last increase a decade ago. The proposed increase will generate around £350,000 each year.

Mid Sussex is currently one of the cheapest places to park in the area when compared to neighbouring Council areas and this will continue to be the case if the proposed change to parking charges is introduced. Parking for 2 hours in a Mid Sussex District Council car park would cost a maximum of £1.50 compared with £1.80 in Lewes, £2 in Crawley and £2.80 in Horsham.

The proposed changes to parking charges and season tickets will be considered by Full Council on 8 December, when a final decision will be made.

Councillor Stephen Hillier, MSDC Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said:

“Our parking charges have remained frozen for the past decade and by bringing them back in line with inflation we will be able to support our key statutory services while also investing in the modernisation of our car parks.

“The decision to increase parking charges is not one we take lightly, but we must make some tough choices over the next few years if we are to effectively manage our budget and recover from the effects of this awful pandemic.”

“The financial pressures created on council finances by the coronavirus pandemic are here to stay for the foreseeable future. We must plan ahead if we are to protect our services and safeguard the long-term sustainability of the Council.”

West Sussex County Council has launched a six-week consultation today to seek views on whether a booking system at selected Recycling Centres should be made permanent.

A trial booking system – Book to Recycle – has been in place at Bognor Regis, Crawley, Horsham, Littlehampton, Shoreham-by-Sea and Worthing Recycling Centres (RCs) since April 2021.

The scheme has greatly reduced waiting times and disruption at peak periods to residents, businesses, and the highway network – which suffered because of traffic tailbacks and queuing vehicles.

A consultation has now been launched on the proposal to operate the booking system on a permanent basis at the six trial sites and extend to include Burgess Hill Recycling Centre.

Prior to the scheme, it was not uncommon to have vehicles waiting to enter some Recycling Centres for 45 minutes and sometimes this was extended to 90 minutes during peak periods.

The system has proved popular with over 420,000 customers booking a recycling slot in advance since the trails began.

Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change said: “We’re always looking for ways to improve services at Recycling Centres to make it easier to do the right thing with waste.

“Feedback so far tells us that customers love being able to recycle without enduring a long delay at busy periods. We want to ensure residents have their say on the proposals – including the finer detail – and tell us exactly what they think.

“I urge as many people as possible to respond to the consultation and let us know if the scheme should be made permanent.”

Residents are allowed a total of five trips each calendar month. Currently, slots are available up to 14 days in advance but must be booked by the day before.

You can take part in the Book to Recycle consultation and share your views by visiting www.westsussex.gov.uk/recyclingcentrebooking

The deadline for members of the public to respond is 21 December 2021.

 

PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

The next meeting of Poynings Parish Council to be held on the Village Hall on Monday 18 October 2021 at 7pm.

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes
3. Matters Arising
4. MSDC and WSCC
5. Public Participation
6. Expenditure for August 2021 and September 2021
7. Planning application
   Meadow Cottage Poynings Road Poynings Brighton West Sussex BN45 7AG. Proposal: Erection of ground floor rear extension, replacing existing conservatory. Enlargement of front and rear dormers with a Juliette balcony to the rear. Front porch extension.
   Closing date for comments 28^th October. 
   https://planningpublicaccess.southdowns.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=QZINYITU0OQ00&activeTab=summary     
   b. Court Farm King George VI Avenue Hove BN3 6XJ
   Demolition of existing buildings on site and erection of retail unit (Class E) with associated works including new access, car parking and landscaping. (For information: proposal is for 1895 sqm of gross floorspace, with 1315 retail floor space and 120 space car park).
   Closing date for comments 29 Oct 
   https://planningapps.brighton-hove.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=dates&keyVal=R09575DMKXP00   
   Not in Poynings but near.
8. Village signs update
9. Passing place and bins update
10. Road sweeping and gullies update
11. MSDC consultation
12. Queens Jubilee 2022
13. Items for next month’s Agenda
14. Dates of Next year’s Meetings
    
    

    Clerk to the Council
    Mr Colin Warburton

PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

The next meeting of Poynings Parish Council to be held on the Village Hall on Monday 18 October 2021 at 7pm.

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes
3. Matters Arising
4. MSDC and WSCC
5. Public Participation
6. Expenditure for August 2021 and September 2021
7. Planning application
   Meadow Cottage Poynings Road Poynings Brighton West Sussex BN45 7AG. Proposal: Erection of ground floor rear extension, replacing existing conservatory. Enlargement of front and rear dormers with a Juliette balcony to the rear. Front porch extension.
   Closing date for comments 28^th October. 
   https://planningpublicaccess.southdowns.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=QZINYITU0OQ00&activeTab=summary     
   b. Court Farm King George VI Avenue Hove BN3 6XJ
   Demolition of existing buildings on site and erection of retail unit (Class E) with associated works including new access, car parking and landscaping. (For information: proposal is for 1895 sqm of gross floorspace, with 1315 retail floor space and 120 space car park).
   Closing date for comments 29 Oct 
   https://planningapps.brighton-hove.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=dates&keyVal=R09575DMKXP00   
   Not in Poynings but near.
8. Village signs update
9. Passing place and bins update
10. Road sweeping and gullies update
11. MSDC consultation
12. Queens Jubilee 2022
13. Items for next month’s Agenda
14. Dates of Next year’s Meetings
    
    

    Clerk to the Council
    Mr Colin Warburton

Mid Sussex District Council is sponsoring a series of FREE online workshops to help local entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into start-up companies.

Business experts will deliver six, two-hour online sessions that provide all the information an aspiring business owner could need to turn their idea into reality. The free course is live and interactive, providing the opportunity to ask specific questions and network with other attendees in a similar position.  

The ‘How to Start a Start-up’ workshops will run from Tuesday 12 October until Tuesday 19 October 2021. All sessions will be provided by The Business Hothouse, a business support programme that provides a range of workshop and 1-2-1 mentoring sessions to help small businesses grow and develop.

Councillor Stephen Hillier, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said:

“Mid Sussex is a fantastic place to do business and we are committed to doing everything we can to help our local economy grow and develop. Start-up companies and small businesses have a tremendously positive affect on the local economy, creating jobs, opportunities and keeping money in the Mid Sussex area.

“Setting up a new business can seem daunting at first but this ‘How to Start a Start-up’ course has everything you need to know about taking that next step. If you’ve got a business idea but you’re unsure exactly how to develop it further, don’t let it go to waste, sign up now and get the help and support you need. It could also be of huge value to those who already have their own business and want an opportunity to step away briefly and renew their strategy.”

The online workshops will help attendees define the purpose of their business idea by focussing on how it will solve the needs and wants of potential customers. Experts will provide advice on market research, pricing strategy, cash flow forecasting, marketing and all the relevant legal obligations such as Income Tax, VAT, National Insurance, Corporation Tax, contracts and insurance.

To book a place on the ‘How to Start a Start-up’ course visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-start-a-start-up-tickets-170132066591

Velocity by name, fast, low-carbon response by nature in fight against potholes

Innovation continues to be explored by West Sussex County Council in its fight against an age-old issue: potholes. The Velocity road patching system is being deployed proactively to treat areas of carriageways even before routine inspections have highlighted issues.

Results half-way through a six-month trial with Velocity have been impressive, with:

• More than 1,100 separate repairs in three months
• A total of approximately 5,500 square metres of patching, or just under five square metres per repair.

How Velocity works:

1. High-velocity air is used to remove all dust and debris and open-up cracks at the bottom of the pothole to ensure a solid, stable repair
2. A cold bitumen emulsion is forced into every crack and crevice under pressure, sealing it and making it water-tight
3. The operator switches on the aggregate mix, which is fired at high velocity through a nozzle, evenly coating the granules with bitumen emulsion and building up the waterproof seal, with no joints
4. If required, the aggregate mix is compacted with a “wacker plate” and the repair is traffic ready – far faster than by traditional methods, reducing the time needed for traffic management.

Velocity managing director Dominic Gardner said: “There’s no excavation, no waste, often no need for road closures, and repairs are ready to drive on in minutes. The repairs cost a third of the price of traditional techniques, and because there’s no heat involved, it’s also exceptionally low on carbon emissions.”

Joy Dennis, County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, witnessed the Velocity patcher in action and commented: “It was impressive and can be used both proactively and reactively. Officers are continually looking at innovation in the fight against potholes and, working with our contractors, exploring lower-carbon methods in maintaining the highway.”

Peter Walsh, Area Director for Balfour Beatty, said: “As the provider of highway maintenance services for West Sussex County Council, it’s rewarding to see our collective teams investing in better ways to deal with the challenge of potholes ahead of inspections and with the aim of improving the experience for all road users.”

Fixing potholes is important, but the County Council also has an ongoing, £17million programme of investment in  roads and footways across West Sussex. It represents one of the biggest investments in the county’s highway infrastructure in the last decade and includes a significant number of road resurfacing schemes: resurfacing a road produces a smoother surface, reducing road noise and increasing resilience to potholes – a longer-term solution to pothole issues.

TUESDAY 5 October 7pm     

Free defibrillator and CPR training.

Henfield Area Response Team provided our defibrillator in 2017.

It is time have or renew our training.

To book a free place please go to:

https://poynings-defibrillator-training.eventbrite.co.uk

BOOK NOW! (so we have an idea of numbers)

You can donate to their funds at the training, or any time at:

http://www.henfieldresponders.org.uk